How to photograph a harvest moon lunar eclipse

[robandmarianne]

We have a harvest moon/lunar eclipse tomorrow night that I would really like to try and photograph.

I have a T4i with three lenses:  EFS 18-55mm; 75-300mm and a high def 0.43X Super Wide Angle w/ Macro Japan Optics.  Can anyone guide me as to which lens would be best and how to set up the camera to get some interesting shots.  I have a tripod.  Not sure how to use "live" mode and I am not well versed when it comes to anything other than the automatic settings -- i.e., ISO, shutter speed, etc.  Anyone willing to teach this old dog some new tricks?  Thanks.  

[ebiggs1]

One last shot.

[TCampbell]

Excellent results Ernie!  

I like your sequence of laying out the images across the frame to view the progression of the eclipse.

Those are MUCH more attractive than my images of clouds that same night.  My club was observing from a couple of locations.  

I drove about an hour away to one of the locations, set up my imaging telescope & cameras (even though it was cloudy the forecast indicated it was likely to break up before the best part of the eclipse), and prepared for the eclipse.  

As I stared at the IR satellite images on my iPad it didn't look like there was any hope of getting an image.  I decided to pack up and go home in defeat.  But I was talking to club members at our 2nd observing site (far to the southeast) and they claimed to have completely clear skies.  That was in the direction toward home anyway... so I thought it might just be clear at home.

I made it home and the skies were clearer -- but starting to cloud in quickly.  I decided to skip the telescope (I'd never get that setup and tracking in time) and just use the camera on a tripod.  I grabbed my 300mm f/2.8 lens and the 2x teleconverter.  Even so, the clouds were hitting the moon just as I started to shooting.  I did get a few images but nothing with a completely clear view (they are all at least partially obscured by clouds.)

I think I should take up "cloud watching" as a hobby.... the odds of success seem so much higher.  😉

[ebiggs1]

Thanx Tim. I didn't have any clouds but the wind did pick up a bit.  It made the longer exposures difficult because the Sigma S is so heavy.  I have a 055 Manfrotto XPRO rated at 20 lbs and a gimbal head but it isn't strong enough.  You know how important a sturdy tripod is!

Anyway you were right about the huge difference in stops.  I was seeing a 14 stop difference from bright to eclipse.  I do not remember that big of a difference on the last eclipse.  And 20 sec exposure don't help without tracking either.

You sound like Tom.  I always accuse him of having a cloud following him around.  All astronomers complain about clouds I guess.

[robandmarianne]

oh my, what a shot!!

[theandies]

It was overcast all night **bleep**-it.